Rocky Patel Disciple
Rocky Patel Premium Cigars grew out of Rakesh “Rocky” Patel’s mid-1990s jump from entertainment law into tobacco. After launching Indian Tabac during the cigar boom, he put his own name on the company in the early 2000s and built one of the industry’s largest regular-production portfolios, with factories and farms in Nicaragua and Honduras.
Disciple arrived at the 2021 PCA Trade Show and began shipping that September. Made at Tabacalera Villa Cuba in Estelí, it uses a Mexican San Andrés wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler and was introduced as a darker, fuller sibling to the Sixty line released the same year.
The Half Corona (3 1/2 x 46) joined the lineup in January 2022 as the fifth regular-production size, packed in boxes of 20.
Stogie At A Glance
Review
First Third
LOTS of pepper on the retro on the light, with a slight black coffee and dark chocolate note. Slight dark cherry coming out, and a decent amount of leather, halfway through the first third. Pepper and black coffee continuing on the palate and finish. There was a slight sweetness before on the coffee and dark chocolate, at the end of the first third, that has disappeared.
Second Third
Lots of leather at the start of the second third, and earthiness is coming through as well, with a little bit of coffee on the finish with pepper. Leather is still the dominant note since the end of the first third, with just a hint of the cherry note from before. Still an herbal black coffee note on the finish. The finish has evolved from simple coffee to something a little more complex, which is enjoyable. The pepper has died down since the initial explosion in the beginning, but a very enjoyable balance now.
Final Third
Starting the final third, leather is still heavy and the tea or herbal note has come out more on the palate, while the coffee is relegated to the finish with leather as well. Leather is still very prominent, but the chocolate is coming back a little stronger than it was initially. Still black coffee on the finish. Leather continues to be the dominant note, and the pepper is starting to pick up as I'm getting near the end of the cigar. The chocolate note has started to come back with some of the cherry note as well, with leather and coffee on the finish.
Score
91/100